This might seem lame but Goodwill has lots of things for next to nothing and most of the time (well in my area) they are not even opened! My mother-in-law gave our boys $25 each and that is the first place we went. Our littlest one purchased never opened 5 color paydoh set, unopened baseball bat with holder and balls ( the kind that holds the ball for young people) and a plane that had a couple of neat things on it. $9 and some change. Then we went to the grocery store and purchased some crazy straws, s'mores material to do in the fireplace and spent $12 and some change. He had a little over $2 left. Not bad for a 5 year old making his money count. He even told me I could have a s'more he would fix for me but he had to have a bite!!! I told him that was a delivery fee while I was doing the ironing...
Oldest boy: S'more material and a movie for the family because as he told me ( I had not seen it all the way through). He is waiting until after Christmas to do the rest of the shopping. We are so proud of our boys!
A large bag of gently used children's books and puzzles after the birth of our first child. Those books have been read and puzzles played with countless times, and now have been passed on to our second child.
Yep, it sounds harsh, but I had to start disconnecting from some people in order to stay within my budget and stress less about money. I started to turn down invites to kids' birthday parties and other events that would require a gift, unless it was immediate family. I used filters on Facebook to hide the people who can't stop talking about their fabulous new shoes or meals out. That and finding a few "kindred spirits" who are in the same situation has really helped me feel at peace with my family's fairly modest circumstances.
Letting go (or at least minimizing) negative relationships is one of the best things you can possibly do for your health in any regard. It's why I long ago dropped the dramatic, needy friends from my life. I like balance, and more importantly, I need to be surrounded by people who are logical and not driven by the need to create chaos.
The best gift ever will be this year's Christmas gift. My cat died several months ago. My husband said "no more cats" once he died, but he saw how distraught I was, so he told me that I can pick out a new kitty for Christmas even though he hates cats!
These are all excellent tips to making and keeping the desk awesome. I'm an at home person working from a laptop at the kitchen table. I move my place within the house every couple of months or so just to keep the scenery and the inspiration fresh.
I agree with the overboard-ness of some people. The stock piles people have of stuff they don't need, and don't want but buy because it was super cheap or even free is nuts! Yes it is amazing to see that some people can get $500 of groceries for $2...but...when its all snickers, corn starch, croutons, and mustard? Then its not that cool. Im with you on rational.
I agree! Taking advantage of deals and coupons is SO important! Why throw away free money? It like saying "no thank you, I'll pay $30 more for this shirt...just because." Makes no sense right? I just hit the deal jackpot - we had been waiting patiently for tents to go on sale so we could go camping...I found one here on WiseBread's Daily Deals AND had REI dividend money left over - SO..i saved $215 on a $300 tent...AMAZING! http://www.wisebread.com/bestdeals/today
My first car caught fire as we drove it back from the seller's house. While I wouldn't argue that it qualified as "safe" per se, I guess it did prevent me from driving very far. Or fast.
Definitely bake your own bread. Even including the amortized cost of a breadmaker (I'm on my second in 10 years) and the electricity to run it, I bake a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread each week for less than $2 per two pound loaf, and it has no artificial additives. I use high quality ingredients (including flax seed meal, molasses and olive oil) and since I get them at Trader Joe's or in the bulk section of Smart Co. I don't have to use coupons to get excellent prices. Much better than anything bought in the grocery store!
Frugal people: care about the perceived value of the item, expensive or not, as long as it is meaningful or provides lots of utility... spend more on items that he/she cares the most, and being cheap everywhere else
Cheap people: buy every single item for cheap
I admit, I am cheap at times but mostly frugal. For example, when shopping for groceries, I compare unit prices for every item I need (frugal).
For some groceries like bread, I don't really care about buying the cheapest one because it's gonna taste the same as the more expensive brands and will mostly feature the same ingredients. It's going to last the same amount of time when I buy the more expensive brands anyways. (cheap)
However, I never skimp on buying anything less when it comes to clothes because I need to buy one that is stylish for and will last for a couple of years. (frugal)
This might seem lame but Goodwill has lots of things for next to nothing and most of the time (well in my area) they are not even opened! My mother-in-law gave our boys $25 each and that is the first place we went. Our littlest one purchased never opened 5 color paydoh set, unopened baseball bat with holder and balls ( the kind that holds the ball for young people) and a plane that had a couple of neat things on it. $9 and some change. Then we went to the grocery store and purchased some crazy straws, s'mores material to do in the fireplace and spent $12 and some change. He had a little over $2 left. Not bad for a 5 year old making his money count. He even told me I could have a s'more he would fix for me but he had to have a bite!!! I told him that was a delivery fee while I was doing the ironing...
Oldest boy: S'more material and a movie for the family because as he told me ( I had not seen it all the way through). He is waiting until after Christmas to do the rest of the shopping. We are so proud of our boys!
Merry Christmas!
What kind of headphones are those? They look awesome.
A large bag of gently used children's books and puzzles after the birth of our first child. Those books have been read and puzzles played with countless times, and now have been passed on to our second child.
Yep, it sounds harsh, but I had to start disconnecting from some people in order to stay within my budget and stress less about money. I started to turn down invites to kids' birthday parties and other events that would require a gift, unless it was immediate family. I used filters on Facebook to hide the people who can't stop talking about their fabulous new shoes or meals out. That and finding a few "kindred spirits" who are in the same situation has really helped me feel at peace with my family's fairly modest circumstances.
I love that answer. My dog is definitely one of the best gifts I've ever gotten too! :)
Nope, not cheesy at all! Great answer!
Awww, that's a great gift. Enjoy your new kitty! :)
Great answer Jason! :)
You are welcome Donna! Happy Holidays! :)
Letting go (or at least minimizing) negative relationships is one of the best things you can possibly do for your health in any regard. It's why I long ago dropped the dramatic, needy friends from my life. I like balance, and more importantly, I need to be surrounded by people who are logical and not driven by the need to create chaos.
I haven't ever regretted it.
The for sale ad: "Budget car; great first vehicle. Very warm in winter!"
Hi, Emily. That's a great idea - wish I could talk my husband into that, but we only have maybe two workable surfaces in our house. :)
Great group of posts this week! I love the post by Time Management Ninja, I wonder what next year's best tech will be.
The best gift ever will be this year's Christmas gift. My cat died several months ago. My husband said "no more cats" once he died, but he saw how distraught I was, so he told me that I can pick out a new kitty for Christmas even though he hates cats!
These are all excellent tips to making and keeping the desk awesome. I'm an at home person working from a laptop at the kitchen table. I move my place within the house every couple of months or so just to keep the scenery and the inspiration fresh.
Thank you for the link!
My favorite gift for all time is chocolates!
What about the stuff that comes out first that's supposed to be poison? How do you know when that's done and the middle stuff that want is coming out?
I agree with the overboard-ness of some people. The stock piles people have of stuff they don't need, and don't want but buy because it was super cheap or even free is nuts! Yes it is amazing to see that some people can get $500 of groceries for $2...but...when its all snickers, corn starch, croutons, and mustard? Then its not that cool. Im with you on rational.
I agree! Taking advantage of deals and coupons is SO important! Why throw away free money? It like saying "no thank you, I'll pay $30 more for this shirt...just because." Makes no sense right? I just hit the deal jackpot - we had been waiting patiently for tents to go on sale so we could go camping...I found one here on WiseBread's Daily Deals AND had REI dividend money left over - SO..i saved $215 on a $300 tent...AMAZING! http://www.wisebread.com/bestdeals/today
My first car caught fire as we drove it back from the seller's house. While I wouldn't argue that it qualified as "safe" per se, I guess it did prevent me from driving very far. Or fast.
Definitely bake your own bread. Even including the amortized cost of a breadmaker (I'm on my second in 10 years) and the electricity to run it, I bake a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread each week for less than $2 per two pound loaf, and it has no artificial additives. I use high quality ingredients (including flax seed meal, molasses and olive oil) and since I get them at Trader Joe's or in the bulk section of Smart Co. I don't have to use coupons to get excellent prices. Much better than anything bought in the grocery store!
Frugal people: care about the perceived value of the item, expensive or not, as long as it is meaningful or provides lots of utility... spend more on items that he/she cares the most, and being cheap everywhere else
Cheap people: buy every single item for cheap
I admit, I am cheap at times but mostly frugal. For example, when shopping for groceries, I compare unit prices for every item I need (frugal).
For some groceries like bread, I don't really care about buying the cheapest one because it's gonna taste the same as the more expensive brands and will mostly feature the same ingredients. It's going to last the same amount of time when I buy the more expensive brands anyways. (cheap)
However, I never skimp on buying anything less when it comes to clothes because I need to buy one that is stylish for and will last for a couple of years. (frugal)
I love that answer Donna! :)
Blessings in disguise can truly be the best gifts!